**************************************
"Ladies first," he said. Li helped Sakura into the heart shaped boat and climbed in after her. He was grateful about not going with Meilin, but now he had to go with Sakura. Like things couldn't get any worse and he couldn't help but feel like there was something waiting for them. For them all. He didn't know if Sakura felt it, but it felt like...a clow card. But he shook it off, Sakura was probably right the night before. There probably were no more cards. Last summer's Love card must've been the last. He didn't tell Sakura about the weird feeling he got.
There was this other weird feeling that he hadn't shook off. It had been this thing between him and Sakura ever since they first saw each other today. It wasn't going to end well. He felt it. Something would happen. They sat away from each other. One on each end. Li rested his chin on his palm. Maybe nothing would happen, it seemed like it'd be a pretty boring ride. Maybe he was just reading into it too much.
It had been silent for a long while. He glanced over at Sakura and he heard her sigh and then he watched her as she rested her chin on her palm. She seemed to be thinking about something and he watched her for a moment then he looked into the water. He began thinking himself. It'd be great to be the water. It flows freely like the wind. It didn't have anything to worry about. It was so gentle and the sound of it's soft, gentle flow was soothing to him. He relaxed a bit, but not as much as he would've liked.
Suddenly, Li heard Sakura make a small whining noise. He turned to her, suddenly. Then he got a feeling she was torn about something. She was confused and torn apart by one thing. No, one person. He knew it. He felt it. Who could be making her so confused? And why?
"Sakura," he whispered. She turned to face him. She looked alarmed.
"Huh?"
"You, okay?" he asked. She nodded. "Oh, alright."
"Li," she said. He faced her again. She slowly moved closer to him and soon her thigh was touching his and they were hip to hip. Kinda. He was a bit taller so it was more like hip to waist. He felt a little uncomfortable and he knew she felt it, but she didn't move.
"What is it?" He asked.
"This," she said as she leaned forward toward him, closing her eyes. He moved away and soon his back was arched over the edge of the boat. She kept leaning toward him and he kept moving away.
"Sakura!" he shouted as he lost balance. She opened her eyes. He fell into the water with a splash.
"Li!" she shouted after him and held out her hand, but it had been to late. "Oops." The boat had come out of the dark tunnel and the man who had been there before stopped the boat and let her out. The man looked a bit confused.
"I thought there were two kids in this boat," the man said as he scratched his head. Then Li swam up to the side.
"There was," Li replied, angrily as the man helped him out, but Li refused to be helped and helped himself. Once he got up he walked passed Sakura. "Li, I'm so sor-," she began, but Li turned around to face her. He gave her a cold stare and Sakura shut up.
"What happened to you?" Zachary asked as he laughed. Rita, Chelsea and Nikki laughed along with him. From behind him came Madison and Meilin, who also laughed. He noticed that Madison had her video camera and was taping him! How long had she been taping? Soon the huge line of people waiting to get on the ride laughed too. Some whistled. David a friend of his and Zachary's howled.
"Li what did you and Sakura do? Hm, I wonder!" he teased. Li was not only pissed, but he was pretty embarrassed too. He walked away from those he called his friends. They were all laughing at him, but soon Meilin yelled after him and she chased him and Li only ignored her. He didn't want to talk to anyone. No one. He hoped that Sakura wouldn't go looking for him later, because she'd be out of luck. He wasn't going to talk to her. Not to anyone. Meilin would just have to talk to herself.
**************************************
"Hey! Let's take your mind off Li, shall we?" Rita asked, trying to make Sakura happy.
"Yeah, let's get your fortune told!" Nikki suggested.
"It'll be fun, Sakura," Madison agreed.
"Yeah, you'll enjoy it," Chelsea added.
"If you want, I could talk to Li for you," Zachary offered. The girls looked at him. Sakura, giving him a hopeful look while Rita, Madison, Nikki, and Chelsea gave him a death glare. "What?!" he asked.
"Just shut up, Zach," Madison said.
"Yeah!" the other girls ordered.
"What did I say?"
Rita felt like kicking him so badly. She put up a fist to warn him and Zachary shut up.
"I'll go, but only after you each take a turn," Sakura announced.
"I'll go first then. Nikki, come with me, please. Sakura, will you be okay?" Sakura nodded and Nikki stepped inside with Rita. They went through the curtain of beads. And Rita sat down. Nikki sat in the seat beside her.
"I would like my fortune read," Rita said to the woman in the shadows. Rita watched as the woman sat down. Her face slowly came into the dim light. She picked up a stack of cards on the right side of the table and Rita watched as she shuffled them and then separated them.
"Choose one," the woman ordered softly. Rita extended her arm and picked up a card and turned it right-side up. The picture on the card revealed bars of gold. "Fortune," the woman said. "You will have a very successful and wealthy future."
"Anything else?" Rita asked, feeling disappointed. She thought there would be more.
"Give me your hand," the woman said. So Rita extended her arm again, leaving her palm facing up. Rita felt the woman's slender, boney fingers trace the lines on her hand softly and slowly. It tickled a little and then it made her itchy. Now she'd be getting a better fortune. She would be successful in the future? Please! The woman could've said that to anyone. It's typical for her to say something like that. I mean, come on!
"Oh, interesting," the woman said.
"What is it? Do you see something?" Rita asked. The woman simply nodded.
"You want to help everyone, but you realize," she paused, " that doesn't always happen. You feel you have to be the best to impress anyone and everyone. You want to find a person who in some ways is like you and someone who'll understand you. More specifically, a young man your age. You love the idea of falling in love even if it means going through pain to get it."
Rita didn't believe it. She hadn't told anyone that before. No one knew about that part of her. No one. Not Nikki. Not Chelsea. Not Madison. Definitely not Meilin or Li. Not Zachary. Not even Sakura. No one. No one had known about that and yet she did. This woman. She did, but how? Was it possible for a woman like her to know how to read a person's thoughts or feelings. She had just read her like a book. Just like that. It was that simple for her. Not for other people. Her parents were still trying to understand her and yet this woman did it in a flash. Her darkest secret was out in the open and she knew. She knew. It was just so unbelievable. So damn unbelievable!
"Don't worry either. I know these things. It just comes to me. I have the ability to read people like books," the woman whispered, leaning closer toward Rita. She smiled sweetly. "And you'll find him. He'll be waiting for you," she said and let Rita's hand slowly slip out of her own hand.
Rita was left speechless. It was crazy. How could she find out about something like that? Just how? This was unbelievable! And someone would be waiting for her! How cool was that? Slowly, a smile formed on her face.
"My turn!" Nikki shouted as Rita slide her money across the table.
"Thank you miss...," Rita said as her voice trailed off.
"Fury. Madame Fury," the old woman replied.
"Fury," Rita finished. "Thank you, Madame Fury."
Madame Fury nodded knowingly and reshuffled her cards. It was Nikki's turn now.
**************************************
Nikki sat completely silent. She just watched as the woman spoke in the dim light which lit the small booth. She listened closely to what was being said. It amazed and excited her all the same.
"You want to help everyone, but you realize," she paused, " that doesn't always happen. You feel you have to be the best to impress anyone and everyone. You want to find a person who in some ways is like you and someone who'll understand you. More specifically, a young man your age. You love the idea of falling in love even if it means going through pain to get it."
This had amazed Nikki beyond words. Beyond anything! Either the woman had made it up or this had been a dark secret which Rita kept to herself. Nikki turned to her friend. Her expression suggested Nikki's second guess was indeed correct. She had never known that about Rita, but why had Rita hid it from her? Nikki couldn't help but ask herself the question. She knew she'd never make fun of her, but why hide it from friends who understand you?
Unless, Nikki thought, you didn't trust me. Us. You didn't trust any of us. Nikki shook it off. So what if she didn't tell her that secret. Everyone had at least one thing no one knew about. Something they kept to themselves, but then why had it hurt so much to know that Rita and kept something from her. Something like this. Even though they had talked about falling in love all the time. Rita had never once mentioned anything like that. It wasn't even all that big a deal. Maybe it had only been because she was embarrassed. Yeah, That's it! Why else would she not tell anyone? A lot of kids their age were shy about admitting stuff like that.
The old woman smiled and. "Don't worry either. I know these things. It just comes to me. I have the ability to read people like books," the woman whispered, leaning closer toward Rita. Nikki watched as the old woman smiled sweetly. "And you'll find him. He'll be waiting for you," she said and let Rita's hand slowly slip out of her own hand.
Wow! Nikki said to herself. Rita must be totally excited. That's so awesome!
"My turn!" Nikki shouted as Rita slide her money across the table. Nikki was just too excited now. It was her turn. She wondered if her fortune would be just as exciting or even better.
"Thank you miss...," Rita said as her voice trailed off.
"Fury. Madame Fury," the old woman answered.
"Fury," Rita said. "Thank you, Madame Fury."
Madame Fury nodded knowingly and reshuffled her cards and Nikki watched almost hypnotized by the cards themselves. The woman then spread her cards on the table and then looked up at Nikki.
"Choose one," she said softly and Nikki quickly reached out to one, but her hovered over the cards for a moment as she had a second thought. She suddenly felt she'd regret this and now wasn't so sure if she should choose any card. She felt a something in the pit of her stomach and then both her brain and her muscles screamed. Screamed to get away, but for some reason her body did not move. It was as if her brain could no longer control it and she sat still. The fear, the overwhelming fear she now felt within her which rose like a wave, paralyzing her. Rendering her completely helpless. "You hesitate," the woman said. The fear quickly vanished and Nikki looked up.
"Huh?"
"Why, child?" Madame Fury asked. A bit of concern was audible in her voice. "Do you fear what the future might hold?"
Come to think of it, yeah, she was. She was. It was always said that no one knows what the future may hold, it's unsure. And knowing was suppose to change everything. She wasn't so sure she wanted things to change. Maybe she wasn't meant to know about her future, but then fortunes also told of the present. Yeah! Her fortune might be of the present. There was nothing to fear. Soon Nikki chose a card and cautiously lifted it. She flipped it over and looked at the picture on the card. The feeling in the pit of her stomach, the sick feeling came back and the rising wave-like fear flashed through her like light reflecting off the edge of a sharp knife.
The picture on the card revealed a dark, hooded figure in a long black robe. The face showed slightly, the rest was hidden behind the shadows and it's hood. It didn't have any eyes and the face that was barely seen had been that of a skull. It's boney, fleshless hand held a long staff with a long pointed, curved blade at the top which looked to be almost like a semi-circle. A sickle. That's what that staff was. Except it's shaft was longer than usual. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know to figure out who or what the figure in th picture was. It was...the Grim Reaper. Now Nikki began to feel her heart pound. This couldn't be good at all. Her breathing became labored.
"Death," Madame Fury said. Nikki looked up and from the corner of her eye she could see Rita's astonished face expression as she turned to Nikki. Rita's mouth was wide open and her eyes were as well. Nikki could see tears from the corners of Rita's eyes.
"Nikki...," Rita began, but her voice trailed off, weakly.
"When the time comes," Madame Fury began, "you will know." Nikki only nodded in response. She didn't even know what Madame Fury was talking about. She didn't understand.
"Thank you," Nikki said as she bowed her head. Madame Fury also bowed her head and then Nikki placed her money beside Rita's and left. Rita followed.
"Ladies first," he said. Li helped Sakura into the heart shaped boat and climbed in after her. He was grateful about not going with Meilin, but now he had to go with Sakura. Like things couldn't get any worse and he couldn't help but feel like there was something waiting for them. For them all. He didn't know if Sakura felt it, but it felt like...a clow card. But he shook it off, Sakura was probably right the night before. There probably were no more cards. Last summer's Love card must've been the last. He didn't tell Sakura about the weird feeling he got.
There was this other weird feeling that he hadn't shook off. It had been this thing between him and Sakura ever since they first saw each other today. It wasn't going to end well. He felt it. Something would happen. They sat away from each other. One on each end. Li rested his chin on his palm. Maybe nothing would happen, it seemed like it'd be a pretty boring ride. Maybe he was just reading into it too much.
It had been silent for a long while. He glanced over at Sakura and he heard her sigh and then he watched her as she rested her chin on her palm. She seemed to be thinking about something and he watched her for a moment then he looked into the water. He began thinking himself. It'd be great to be the water. It flows freely like the wind. It didn't have anything to worry about. It was so gentle and the sound of it's soft, gentle flow was soothing to him. He relaxed a bit, but not as much as he would've liked.
Suddenly, Li heard Sakura make a small whining noise. He turned to her, suddenly. Then he got a feeling she was torn about something. She was confused and torn apart by one thing. No, one person. He knew it. He felt it. Who could be making her so confused? And why?
"Sakura," he whispered. She turned to face him. She looked alarmed.
"Huh?"
"You, okay?" he asked. She nodded. "Oh, alright."
"Li," she said. He faced her again. She slowly moved closer to him and soon her thigh was touching his and they were hip to hip. Kinda. He was a bit taller so it was more like hip to waist. He felt a little uncomfortable and he knew she felt it, but she didn't move.
"What is it?" He asked.
"This," she said as she leaned forward toward him, closing her eyes. He moved away and soon his back was arched over the edge of the boat. She kept leaning toward him and he kept moving away.
"Sakura!" he shouted as he lost balance. She opened her eyes. He fell into the water with a splash.
"Li!" she shouted after him and held out her hand, but it had been to late. "Oops." The boat had come out of the dark tunnel and the man who had been there before stopped the boat and let her out. The man looked a bit confused.
"I thought there were two kids in this boat," the man said as he scratched his head. Then Li swam up to the side.
"There was," Li replied, angrily as the man helped him out, but Li refused to be helped and helped himself. Once he got up he walked passed Sakura. "Li, I'm so sor-," she began, but Li turned around to face her. He gave her a cold stare and Sakura shut up.
"What happened to you?" Zachary asked as he laughed. Rita, Chelsea and Nikki laughed along with him. From behind him came Madison and Meilin, who also laughed. He noticed that Madison had her video camera and was taping him! How long had she been taping? Soon the huge line of people waiting to get on the ride laughed too. Some whistled. David a friend of his and Zachary's howled.
"Li what did you and Sakura do? Hm, I wonder!" he teased. Li was not only pissed, but he was pretty embarrassed too. He walked away from those he called his friends. They were all laughing at him, but soon Meilin yelled after him and she chased him and Li only ignored her. He didn't want to talk to anyone. No one. He hoped that Sakura wouldn't go looking for him later, because she'd be out of luck. He wasn't going to talk to her. Not to anyone. Meilin would just have to talk to herself.
**************************************
"Hey! Let's take your mind off Li, shall we?" Rita asked, trying to make Sakura happy.
"Yeah, let's get your fortune told!" Nikki suggested.
"It'll be fun, Sakura," Madison agreed.
"Yeah, you'll enjoy it," Chelsea added.
"If you want, I could talk to Li for you," Zachary offered. The girls looked at him. Sakura, giving him a hopeful look while Rita, Madison, Nikki, and Chelsea gave him a death glare. "What?!" he asked.
"Just shut up, Zach," Madison said.
"Yeah!" the other girls ordered.
"What did I say?"
Rita felt like kicking him so badly. She put up a fist to warn him and Zachary shut up.
"I'll go, but only after you each take a turn," Sakura announced.
"I'll go first then. Nikki, come with me, please. Sakura, will you be okay?" Sakura nodded and Nikki stepped inside with Rita. They went through the curtain of beads. And Rita sat down. Nikki sat in the seat beside her.
"I would like my fortune read," Rita said to the woman in the shadows. Rita watched as the woman sat down. Her face slowly came into the dim light. She picked up a stack of cards on the right side of the table and Rita watched as she shuffled them and then separated them.
"Choose one," the woman ordered softly. Rita extended her arm and picked up a card and turned it right-side up. The picture on the card revealed bars of gold. "Fortune," the woman said. "You will have a very successful and wealthy future."
"Anything else?" Rita asked, feeling disappointed. She thought there would be more.
"Give me your hand," the woman said. So Rita extended her arm again, leaving her palm facing up. Rita felt the woman's slender, boney fingers trace the lines on her hand softly and slowly. It tickled a little and then it made her itchy. Now she'd be getting a better fortune. She would be successful in the future? Please! The woman could've said that to anyone. It's typical for her to say something like that. I mean, come on!
"Oh, interesting," the woman said.
"What is it? Do you see something?" Rita asked. The woman simply nodded.
"You want to help everyone, but you realize," she paused, " that doesn't always happen. You feel you have to be the best to impress anyone and everyone. You want to find a person who in some ways is like you and someone who'll understand you. More specifically, a young man your age. You love the idea of falling in love even if it means going through pain to get it."
Rita didn't believe it. She hadn't told anyone that before. No one knew about that part of her. No one. Not Nikki. Not Chelsea. Not Madison. Definitely not Meilin or Li. Not Zachary. Not even Sakura. No one. No one had known about that and yet she did. This woman. She did, but how? Was it possible for a woman like her to know how to read a person's thoughts or feelings. She had just read her like a book. Just like that. It was that simple for her. Not for other people. Her parents were still trying to understand her and yet this woman did it in a flash. Her darkest secret was out in the open and she knew. She knew. It was just so unbelievable. So damn unbelievable!
"Don't worry either. I know these things. It just comes to me. I have the ability to read people like books," the woman whispered, leaning closer toward Rita. She smiled sweetly. "And you'll find him. He'll be waiting for you," she said and let Rita's hand slowly slip out of her own hand.
Rita was left speechless. It was crazy. How could she find out about something like that? Just how? This was unbelievable! And someone would be waiting for her! How cool was that? Slowly, a smile formed on her face.
"My turn!" Nikki shouted as Rita slide her money across the table.
"Thank you miss...," Rita said as her voice trailed off.
"Fury. Madame Fury," the old woman replied.
"Fury," Rita finished. "Thank you, Madame Fury."
Madame Fury nodded knowingly and reshuffled her cards. It was Nikki's turn now.
**************************************
Nikki sat completely silent. She just watched as the woman spoke in the dim light which lit the small booth. She listened closely to what was being said. It amazed and excited her all the same.
"You want to help everyone, but you realize," she paused, " that doesn't always happen. You feel you have to be the best to impress anyone and everyone. You want to find a person who in some ways is like you and someone who'll understand you. More specifically, a young man your age. You love the idea of falling in love even if it means going through pain to get it."
This had amazed Nikki beyond words. Beyond anything! Either the woman had made it up or this had been a dark secret which Rita kept to herself. Nikki turned to her friend. Her expression suggested Nikki's second guess was indeed correct. She had never known that about Rita, but why had Rita hid it from her? Nikki couldn't help but ask herself the question. She knew she'd never make fun of her, but why hide it from friends who understand you?
Unless, Nikki thought, you didn't trust me. Us. You didn't trust any of us. Nikki shook it off. So what if she didn't tell her that secret. Everyone had at least one thing no one knew about. Something they kept to themselves, but then why had it hurt so much to know that Rita and kept something from her. Something like this. Even though they had talked about falling in love all the time. Rita had never once mentioned anything like that. It wasn't even all that big a deal. Maybe it had only been because she was embarrassed. Yeah, That's it! Why else would she not tell anyone? A lot of kids their age were shy about admitting stuff like that.
The old woman smiled and. "Don't worry either. I know these things. It just comes to me. I have the ability to read people like books," the woman whispered, leaning closer toward Rita. Nikki watched as the old woman smiled sweetly. "And you'll find him. He'll be waiting for you," she said and let Rita's hand slowly slip out of her own hand.
Wow! Nikki said to herself. Rita must be totally excited. That's so awesome!
"My turn!" Nikki shouted as Rita slide her money across the table. Nikki was just too excited now. It was her turn. She wondered if her fortune would be just as exciting or even better.
"Thank you miss...," Rita said as her voice trailed off.
"Fury. Madame Fury," the old woman answered.
"Fury," Rita said. "Thank you, Madame Fury."
Madame Fury nodded knowingly and reshuffled her cards and Nikki watched almost hypnotized by the cards themselves. The woman then spread her cards on the table and then looked up at Nikki.
"Choose one," she said softly and Nikki quickly reached out to one, but her hovered over the cards for a moment as she had a second thought. She suddenly felt she'd regret this and now wasn't so sure if she should choose any card. She felt a something in the pit of her stomach and then both her brain and her muscles screamed. Screamed to get away, but for some reason her body did not move. It was as if her brain could no longer control it and she sat still. The fear, the overwhelming fear she now felt within her which rose like a wave, paralyzing her. Rendering her completely helpless. "You hesitate," the woman said. The fear quickly vanished and Nikki looked up.
"Huh?"
"Why, child?" Madame Fury asked. A bit of concern was audible in her voice. "Do you fear what the future might hold?"
Come to think of it, yeah, she was. She was. It was always said that no one knows what the future may hold, it's unsure. And knowing was suppose to change everything. She wasn't so sure she wanted things to change. Maybe she wasn't meant to know about her future, but then fortunes also told of the present. Yeah! Her fortune might be of the present. There was nothing to fear. Soon Nikki chose a card and cautiously lifted it. She flipped it over and looked at the picture on the card. The feeling in the pit of her stomach, the sick feeling came back and the rising wave-like fear flashed through her like light reflecting off the edge of a sharp knife.
The picture on the card revealed a dark, hooded figure in a long black robe. The face showed slightly, the rest was hidden behind the shadows and it's hood. It didn't have any eyes and the face that was barely seen had been that of a skull. It's boney, fleshless hand held a long staff with a long pointed, curved blade at the top which looked to be almost like a semi-circle. A sickle. That's what that staff was. Except it's shaft was longer than usual. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know to figure out who or what the figure in th picture was. It was...the Grim Reaper. Now Nikki began to feel her heart pound. This couldn't be good at all. Her breathing became labored.
"Death," Madame Fury said. Nikki looked up and from the corner of her eye she could see Rita's astonished face expression as she turned to Nikki. Rita's mouth was wide open and her eyes were as well. Nikki could see tears from the corners of Rita's eyes.
"Nikki...," Rita began, but her voice trailed off, weakly.
"When the time comes," Madame Fury began, "you will know." Nikki only nodded in response. She didn't even know what Madame Fury was talking about. She didn't understand.
"Thank you," Nikki said as she bowed her head. Madame Fury also bowed her head and then Nikki placed her money beside Rita's and left. Rita followed.
